Hinnavaru Council to Charge MVR 2,000 Fee for Relinquishing Island Registry

As a measure to prevent a decline in its population, the Lh. Hinnavaru Council has decided to levy an administrative fee of MVR 2,000 on residents who relinquish their island registry.

In an announcement posted on social media, the Hinnavaru Council stated that the decision to charge this fee to individuals relinquishing their registry to move to other islands was made because the trend was observed to negatively impact the island’s population size. 

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Furthermore, the announcement noted that the council reached this decision to help encourage population growth on the island.

According to the notice published by the Hinnavaru Council—an island with a population of approximately 2,000 people—this policy will take effect starting on the first day of next month.

The move follows a similar decision by GDh. Thinadhoo Council last year to charge residents MVR 5,000 for relinquishing their island registry. The council had initially introduced the fee in January 2024, but suspended it after the Local Government Authority (LGA) advised that the charge could not be imposed without the required procedures.

Following consultations with the public, Thinadhoo Council revisited the matter in 2025. The council said residents had been asked through a Google Form to select a preferred fee ranging from MVR 0 to MVR 5,000, with the majority supporting the MVR 5,000 charge. The amount was also recommended during a public meeting held before implementing the fee.

The council subsequently decided to introduce the fee after receiving public feedback, although the earlier LGA intervention had highlighted the need to follow the appropriate legal procedures.